The present invention generally relates to containers for safely disposing used medical instruments and, more particularly, to a sharps disposal container for disposing of pen syringe needles.
Disposal of sharps such as surgical knives, blades, hypodermic needles and the like is a tremendous problem for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Used sharps may become contaminated by body fluids and the like creating a hazard for anyone that may handle them following their use. Hospitals have developed stringent policy procedures for the safe disposal of used sharps, such as requiring sharps disposal containers in the emergency and examining rooms, and each patient room. Because of their potentially dangerous nature, particularly with present concerns regarding accidental transmittal of infectious diseases and syringe reuse, typical sharps disposal containers are designed not only to permit disposal but also to prevent unintentional contact with or theft of any object deposited in the disposal container.
The present growing trend of providing home healthcare, tremendously increases the potential for inadvertent handling of used sharps, particularly of pen syringe needles. Medical care provided in the patient's home exposes not only the patient but also other individuals without medical experience to the inherent dangers of used needles. Existing sharps disposal containers typically include closure devices which permit sharps, such as needles, to be placed within the container. Many of these sharps disposal containers include a permanent closure device also used as a temporary cover until the container is filled and ready for permanent closure. This often results in the unintentional permanent closure of the container before it is completely filled. The partially filled container must nonetheless be destroyed, and thereby resulting in the waste of containers and added cost to the hospital and patient.
Many patients must administer multiple doses of medication daily. A pen syringe is particularly suitable for administering such multiple doses. The patient must therefore safely dispose many needles. There is a need therefore for a container for disposing pen syringe needles, which container may be economically manufactured while providing an adequate level of safety to the user, and yet preventing unintentional permanent closure of the container.